suteki
@suteki-chan.bsky.social
interested in astrophysics, astronomy, and cosmology
Reposted by suteki
I calculate the odds of that anagram occurring to be < 0.005%! Coincidence? We do not know.
A reminder that "Alien observations" is an anagram of "Avi Loeb's insane rot"
Avi Loeb's calculations about 3I/ATLAS are 100% wrong because he has never understood that dust in the tail(s) responds to solar radiation pressure. Solar wind shapes the ion tail. But the radiation pressure is about 1000 times larger than the solar wind ram pressure, for particles that feel it.
November 14, 2025 at 6:54 PM
I calculate the odds of that anagram occurring to be < 0.005%! Coincidence? We do not know.
Reposted by suteki
Congratulations! Your students know more about comets than Avi Loeb!
This! Here's a slide pulled from my class lecture notes this semester. Comets have two clear tails - one from dust and one from ions. They point in different directions because one feels the solar wind while the other feels radiation pressure.
November 14, 2025 at 4:36 PM
Congratulations! Your students know more about comets than Avi Loeb!
Reposted by suteki
"The fallacies behind the cult of Loeb"
New entry in my blog. Other articles have covered the scientific aspects; this one reflects on the social phenomenon. I argue it’s driven by a series of fallacies
tinieblasyestrellas.blogspot.com/2025/11/the-...
New entry in my blog. Other articles have covered the scientific aspects; this one reflects on the social phenomenon. I argue it’s driven by a series of fallacies
tinieblasyestrellas.blogspot.com/2025/11/the-...
The fallacies behind the cult of Loeb
How media hype and misunderstanding fuel pseudoscientific fascination Introduction The word “cult” is used here in the sense given by...
tinieblasyestrellas.blogspot.com
November 13, 2025 at 11:09 AM
"The fallacies behind the cult of Loeb"
New entry in my blog. Other articles have covered the scientific aspects; this one reflects on the social phenomenon. I argue it’s driven by a series of fallacies
tinieblasyestrellas.blogspot.com/2025/11/the-...
New entry in my blog. Other articles have covered the scientific aspects; this one reflects on the social phenomenon. I argue it’s driven by a series of fallacies
tinieblasyestrellas.blogspot.com/2025/11/the-...
Reposted by suteki
Yeah. It’s a comet.
November 13, 2025 at 5:17 AM
Yeah. It’s a comet.
Reposted by suteki
Here is a new report on 3I/ATLAS, specifically on our reevaluation of the 3I/ATLAS magnitude drift model with all of the new post-perihelion data now available.
www.researchgate.net/publication/...
www.researchgate.net/publication/...
(PDF) 3I/ATLAS Report for November 12, 2025: Adoption of the November 6 Magnitude Prediction Model
PDF | This is a report on the reevaluation of the 3I/ATLAS magnitude drift model with all of the new post-perihelion data now available, and on the... | Find, read and cite all the research you need o...
www.researchgate.net
November 12, 2025 at 2:31 PM
Here is a new report on 3I/ATLAS, specifically on our reevaluation of the 3I/ATLAS magnitude drift model with all of the new post-perihelion data now available.
www.researchgate.net/publication/...
www.researchgate.net/publication/...
Reposted by suteki
This is a comet that has stayed in one piece.
And here's this morning's 3I/ATLAS image from Italy ☄️ www.virtualtelescope.eu/2025/11/11/i...
Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS (aka C/2025 N1 ATLAS): the ion tail is getting longer - 11 Nov. 2025. - The Virtual Telescope Project 2.0
Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS is showing a nice ion tail in this 11 Nov. 2025, taken by Gianluca Masi, Virtual Telescope Project.
www.virtualtelescope.eu
November 11, 2025 at 10:00 PM
This is a comet that has stayed in one piece.
Reposted by suteki
And here's this morning's 3I/ATLAS image from Italy ☄️ www.virtualtelescope.eu/2025/11/11/i...
Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS (aka C/2025 N1 ATLAS): the ion tail is getting longer - 11 Nov. 2025. - The Virtual Telescope Project 2.0
Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS is showing a nice ion tail in this 11 Nov. 2025, taken by Gianluca Masi, Virtual Telescope Project.
www.virtualtelescope.eu
November 11, 2025 at 8:50 PM
And here's this morning's 3I/ATLAS image from Italy ☄️ www.virtualtelescope.eu/2025/11/11/i...
Reposted by suteki
Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS (aka C/2025 N1 ATLAS): the ion tail is getting longer – 11 Nov. 2025.
by Gianluca Masi and the Virtual telescope
Our interstellar visitor is really putting on a show for Juice, which is collecting data now.
by Gianluca Masi and the Virtual telescope
Our interstellar visitor is really putting on a show for Juice, which is collecting data now.
November 11, 2025 at 1:57 PM
Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS (aka C/2025 N1 ATLAS): the ion tail is getting longer – 11 Nov. 2025.
by Gianluca Masi and the Virtual telescope
Our interstellar visitor is really putting on a show for Juice, which is collecting data now.
by Gianluca Masi and the Virtual telescope
Our interstellar visitor is really putting on a show for Juice, which is collecting data now.
Reposted by suteki
And, unlike many past comets, we have been keeping a very close eye on 3I, including completely through perihelion, with a large combination of interplanetary and Earth orbiting spacecraft. We _know_ it hasn't been misbehaving.
November 11, 2025 at 2:54 AM
And, unlike many past comets, we have been keeping a very close eye on 3I, including completely through perihelion, with a large combination of interplanetary and Earth orbiting spacecraft. We _know_ it hasn't been misbehaving.
Reposted by suteki
Why are planetary scientists, astrobiologists and and SETI scientists so negative (pissed off, even) about Avi Loeb’s repeated claims that 3I/Atlas may be an invading alien spaceship?
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November 10, 2025 at 11:41 PM
Why are planetary scientists, astrobiologists and and SETI scientists so negative (pissed off, even) about Avi Loeb’s repeated claims that 3I/Atlas may be an invading alien spaceship?
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Reposted by suteki
Sure. And there are thousands of things less drastic than that it could do to show it’s not a comet. But for the 113th day in a row, it has only done comety things. At some point any sane person admits a chunk of ice is a chunk of ice.
November 11, 2025 at 1:18 AM
Sure. And there are thousands of things less drastic than that it could do to show it’s not a comet. But for the 113th day in a row, it has only done comety things. At some point any sane person admits a chunk of ice is a chunk of ice.
Reposted by suteki
Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS was born with different and more ancient chemistry, has been more irradiated, and is speeding toward the Sun faster compared to Solar System comets. It's got a unique personality. But since literally Day 1 it was recognized as a comet and has only ever done comety things.
I've summarized the truth about Loeb's 10 "anomalies" about 3I/ATLAS in one post.
Thanks to @deschscoveries.bsky.social @michael-w-busch.bsky.social @cometary.org and @marshall-eubanks.bsky.social for contributing their expertise!
Thanks to @deschscoveries.bsky.social @michael-w-busch.bsky.social @cometary.org and @marshall-eubanks.bsky.social for contributing their expertise!
Loeb’s 3I/ATLAS “Anomalies” Explained
Avi Loeb continues to claim that 3I/ATLAS has many anomalous behaviors that lead to the conclusion that it “might” be an alien spacecraft. He carefully hedges the probability that it is a spacecraft ...
sites.psu.edu
November 10, 2025 at 6:29 PM
Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS was born with different and more ancient chemistry, has been more irradiated, and is speeding toward the Sun faster compared to Solar System comets. It's got a unique personality. But since literally Day 1 it was recognized as a comet and has only ever done comety things.
Reposted by suteki
Trump is 30 points underwater. Dems swept the special elections. People know the GOP is responsible for the shutdown. So the Dem Senators pulled out their big guns... and shot themselves in the foot.
November 10, 2025 at 1:53 AM
Trump is 30 points underwater. Dems swept the special elections. People know the GOP is responsible for the shutdown. So the Dem Senators pulled out their big guns... and shot themselves in the foot.
Reposted by suteki
I've summarized the truth about Loeb's 10 "anomalies" about 3I/ATLAS in one post.
Thanks to @deschscoveries.bsky.social @michael-w-busch.bsky.social @cometary.org and @marshall-eubanks.bsky.social for contributing their expertise!
Thanks to @deschscoveries.bsky.social @michael-w-busch.bsky.social @cometary.org and @marshall-eubanks.bsky.social for contributing their expertise!
Loeb’s 3I/ATLAS “Anomalies” Explained
Avi Loeb continues to claim that 3I/ATLAS has many anomalous behaviors that lead to the conclusion that it “might” be an alien spacecraft. He carefully hedges the probability that it is a spacecraft ...
sites.psu.edu
November 10, 2025 at 12:22 AM
I've summarized the truth about Loeb's 10 "anomalies" about 3I/ATLAS in one post.
Thanks to @deschscoveries.bsky.social @michael-w-busch.bsky.social @cometary.org and @marshall-eubanks.bsky.social for contributing their expertise!
Thanks to @deschscoveries.bsky.social @michael-w-busch.bsky.social @cometary.org and @marshall-eubanks.bsky.social for contributing their expertise!
Reposted by suteki
My colleagues and I have been discussing this as new data have come in. Non-gravs look big but are noisy; too soon to tell; point to < 1 km (ish). Water vapor points to D > 3 km except there could still be coma ice grains sublimating. My guess is D=2 km, slightly bigger than Borisov (D=0.5 km)…
November 9, 2025 at 10:12 PM
My colleagues and I have been discussing this as new data have come in. Non-gravs look big but are noisy; too soon to tell; point to < 1 km (ish). Water vapor points to D > 3 km except there could still be coma ice grains sublimating. My guess is D=2 km, slightly bigger than Borisov (D=0.5 km)…
Reposted by suteki
November 9, 2025 at 9:21 PM
Reposted by suteki
Since Avi Loeb has spent the last decade ignoring or insulting planetary scientists who have explained things to him; I assume your question was rhetorical.
November 8, 2025 at 9:55 PM
Since Avi Loeb has spent the last decade ignoring or insulting planetary scientists who have explained things to him; I assume your question was rhetorical.
Reposted by suteki
“What I’m saying is that we need to consider the possibility it’s aliens.”
“Sir, this is a Walmart please stop harassing customers.”
“Sir, this is a Walmart please stop harassing customers.”
November 9, 2025 at 12:32 AM
“What I’m saying is that we need to consider the possibility it’s aliens.”
“Sir, this is a Walmart please stop harassing customers.”
“Sir, this is a Walmart please stop harassing customers.”
Reposted by suteki
Speaking as a spacecraft engineer, the thing that gets me about Loeb's interpretations is that his alien engineers are insultingly incompetent.
RCS thruster plumes visible from the other side of the solar system, making no difference in the trajectory?!
And 'Oumuamua was a *terrible* solar sail.
RCS thruster plumes visible from the other side of the solar system, making no difference in the trajectory?!
And 'Oumuamua was a *terrible* solar sail.
November 8, 2025 at 7:51 PM
Speaking as a spacecraft engineer, the thing that gets me about Loeb's interpretations is that his alien engineers are insultingly incompetent.
RCS thruster plumes visible from the other side of the solar system, making no difference in the trajectory?!
And 'Oumuamua was a *terrible* solar sail.
RCS thruster plumes visible from the other side of the solar system, making no difference in the trajectory?!
And 'Oumuamua was a *terrible* solar sail.
Reposted by suteki
New image of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS by M. Jäger, G. Rhemann & E. Prosperi.
Avi Loeb's: "Is the network of jets associated with pockets of ice on the surface of a natural cometary nucleus or are they coming from a set of jet thrusters used for navigation of a spacecraft? We do not know."
Avi Loeb's: "Is the network of jets associated with pockets of ice on the surface of a natural cometary nucleus or are they coming from a set of jet thrusters used for navigation of a spacecraft? We do not know."
November 8, 2025 at 6:35 PM
New image of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS by M. Jäger, G. Rhemann & E. Prosperi.
Avi Loeb's: "Is the network of jets associated with pockets of ice on the surface of a natural cometary nucleus or are they coming from a set of jet thrusters used for navigation of a spacecraft? We do not know."
Avi Loeb's: "Is the network of jets associated with pockets of ice on the surface of a natural cometary nucleus or are they coming from a set of jet thrusters used for navigation of a spacecraft? We do not know."
Reposted by suteki
Image of our interstellar visitor 3I/ATLAS from the Chinese TianWen-1 Mars orbiter back in September (plus the usual plethora of cosmic ray hits on raw space images)
www.cnsa.gov.cn/n6758823/n67...
www.cnsa.gov.cn/n6758823/n67...
November 6, 2025 at 12:45 PM
Image of our interstellar visitor 3I/ATLAS from the Chinese TianWen-1 Mars orbiter back in September (plus the usual plethora of cosmic ray hits on raw space images)
www.cnsa.gov.cn/n6758823/n67...
www.cnsa.gov.cn/n6758823/n67...
Reposted by suteki
Tianwen-1 Mars orbiter successfully observed the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS in early October at a distance of ~29 million km, CNSA has just announced. www.cnsa.gov.cn/n6758823/n67...
November 6, 2025 at 12:42 AM
Tianwen-1 Mars orbiter successfully observed the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS in early October at a distance of ~29 million km, CNSA has just announced. www.cnsa.gov.cn/n6758823/n67...
Reposted by suteki
Doesn’t that claim rely on his wildly wrong mass estimate as well?
He claims that it would lose 13% of its mass, and 13% of the very large mass he claims it has should be easily detected. But 13% of a mass that is 1000 or 10,000 times smaller presumably wouldn’t.
He claims that it would lose 13% of its mass, and 13% of the very large mass he claims it has should be easily detected. But 13% of a mass that is 1000 or 10,000 times smaller presumably wouldn’t.
November 6, 2025 at 12:51 AM
Doesn’t that claim rely on his wildly wrong mass estimate as well?
He claims that it would lose 13% of its mass, and 13% of the very large mass he claims it has should be easily detected. But 13% of a mass that is 1000 or 10,000 times smaller presumably wouldn’t.
He claims that it would lose 13% of its mass, and 13% of the very large mass he claims it has should be easily detected. But 13% of a mass that is 1000 or 10,000 times smaller presumably wouldn’t.
Reposted by suteki
Nothing about his claim is sensible. The nongravs are most likely far smaller than the current measurements, due to the astrometry being biased by the asymmetric coma (comet was ~4 sigma away in the JWST obs). Observations (especially in the radio) also show strong outgassing.
November 6, 2025 at 1:00 AM
Nothing about his claim is sensible. The nongravs are most likely far smaller than the current measurements, due to the astrometry being biased by the asymmetric coma (comet was ~4 sigma away in the JWST obs). Observations (especially in the radio) also show strong outgassing.